Highclere Castle in Hampshire may be best known today as TV's Downton Abbey, but the stately home has long been famous for its connection to a much older aristocratic dynasty.

Its owners, the Carnarvon family, were central to the hunt for the tomb of Tutankhamun, which led to one of the most spectacular archaeological discoveries in history.

Now the spectacular tomb has been rebuilt in the basement of the house, allowing visitors to recreate the experience of the explorers who first stumbled upon the ancient Egyptian treasure 90 years ago.

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Reconstruction: The scene at an exhibition in Highclere Castle celebrating the tomb of Tutankhamun

Spectacular: Egyptian ambassador Ashraf El Kholy looks at the exhibits with the Countess of Carnarvon

Unique: The Countess poses with a camel in front of the famous home in Hampshire

The current Countess is confident that
Highclere's association with Tutankhamun will ensure its lasting fame -
and says that Dowton 'will come and go' by comparison.

In 1922, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon joined famed adventurer Howard Carter on an expedition in the Valley of the Kings hunting for the hidden tombs of Egyptian pharaohs.

'I want people to feel they're inside the tomb and they have a sense of history.'

She added that some members of the Downton Abbey cast had visited the exhibition - but claimed that few of them had the time to appreciate their surroundings during filming of the ITV period drama.

'They're in such a beautiful place and they don't sort of know it,' the Countess said.

Famous: Tutankhamun's golden death mask is one of the best-known monuments of ancient Egypt

Pride: Mr El Kholy takes a clsoer look at a replica of the pharaoh's elaborate coffin

But she also took time to praise the impact the hit show had on the public profile of Highclere and said it had helped support the Tutankhamun exhibition.

'In 100 years' time people are still going to be wondering and admiring the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, and Downton will have helped us keep going,' she said.

Ashraf El Kholy, Egypt's ambassador to the UK, praised the exhibition, saying it was 'different than any other museum'.

He added: 'It's educational, it shows you how people worked hard to discover something, and it gives you a feeling of the history and the process of discovery.

'It reflects the great interest British people have in Egypt.'

Pose: The Countess and the ambassador got together to promote both Highclere and Tutankhamun

Visit: The Egyptian Exhibition will be open to the public over the Easter period

The ambassador said his favourite piece was a wooden sculpture of the pharaoh's head.

'They look to the very smallest details of the human face,' he said. 'The eyes and head are very well drawn.

'I think this was the magic of the Egyptians, they worked hard to create the reality and they gave part of their feelings to what they were capturing.'

The Egyptian Exhibition will be open to the public during the Easter period.

Recognisable: Highclere is best-known as the setting for ITV's hit period drama Downton Abbey

THE EGYPTIAN BOY-KING WHOSE DISCOVERY THRILLED THE WORLD

Tutankhamun was born around 1342 BC, during the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt.

His father was the pharaoh Akhenaten and his mother, whose name is unknown, seems to have been Akhenaten's own sister.

He ascended to the throne around 1332 BC, at the age of just nine, meaning that his reign is likely to have been dominated by a group of powerful older advisers.

Tutankhamun's time on the throne is considered most notable for his decision to roll back a number of radical innovations in religion which were initiated by his father.

He died after reigning just 10 years, when he was still a teenager, and while the precise cause of his death is unknown it is possible that it may be linked to the fact that he was the product of incest.

His tomb was discovered on November 4, 1922, and due to its nearly untouched state it caused a global sensation and has since become one of Egypt's most iconic treasures.